1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to grain stirring apparatus and more particularly to grain stirring apparatus for stirring and aerating grain in a storage bin to prevent spoilage thereof. The apparatus of the invention is rugged in construction and provides trouble-free, reliable and efficient service while being economically manufacturable.
2. BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART
An apparatus for stirring and aerating grain is disclosed in the Sukup U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,842 in which a stirrer is formed with a helical blade and is rotated about a vertical axis while being moved horizontally in a path such that substantially all grain in a bin may be periodically stirred and aerated. In apparatus for a circular bin as illustrated in said patent, a carriage is rotated about a central vertical axis of the bin while a carrier structure on the carriage is moved back and forth, radially inwardly and outwardly, the stirrer being supported from the carrier structure. An apparatus for a rectangular bin is disclosed in the Sukup U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,842 and is illustrated in the Sukup U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,308, in which a carriage is moved from one end of a bin to the other while a stirrer carrier structure is moved back and forth between the sides of a bin.
To effect the back and forth movement of the carrier structure, a horizontal shaft is provided and a drive roller is so disposed that its periphery frictionally engages the horizontal shaft to move the carrier structure along the shaft which is controlled by the orientation of the axis of the drive roller and which is reversed at each end of a range of travel of the carrier structure. To reverse direction, the drive roller is supported from a straight rod which has its opposite ends pivotally connected to additional rods, each of the additional rods being loosely passed through a pair of loops on a carrier frame structure. The outer ends of the additional rods are engageable by beads on the faces of circular plates which are mounted on the shaft and they act to shift the loosely supported rod which carries the drive roller and to reverse the direction of movement of the stirrer carrier structure at each end of a range of travel thereof. Two support rollers are provided to transfer the weight of the carrier frame to the drive roller by means of flat bars. Another support roller is provided for lending lateral support and limiting transverse movement of the drive roller in one direction. The stirrer and a drive motor assembly are positioned on opposite sides of a vertical plane through the shaft axis.